Washington D.C. – Journalist Aaron Sibarium of the Washington Free Beacon recently issued a clarification regarding a controversial statement made by Joel Berry, Managing Editor of The Babylon Bee, emphasizing that Berry's views on Catholics in Gaza do not align with official Israeli policy. Sibarium's tweet, posted on July 19, 2025, stated, > "It should be stressed that Joel’s response was not Israel’s." This came in response to Berry's assertion that the approximately 200 professed Catholics remaining in Gaza all support Hamas.
Berry's original tweet, which drew significant attention, claimed, > "This won’t be easy for people to hear, but there are only about 200 professed Catholics still living in Gaza and they all support Hamas." This statement emerged amidst reports of an Israeli strike on the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza.
The incident at the Holy Family Catholic Church, the sole Catholic church in the Gaza Strip, occurred on July 17, 2025. An Israeli shell reportedly struck the church compound, resulting in three fatalities and ten injuries, including the parish priest. Hundreds of Palestinians, including Christians and Muslims, had been sheltering within the compound.
Following the strike, Israeli officials expressed regret. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, "Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza’s Holy Family Church." Similarly, Israeli Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Oren Marmorstein added, "Israel expresses deep sorrow over the damage to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and over any civilian casualty," noting that the circumstances were under review and results would be published transparently.
The Israeli government's official stance consistently emphasizes efforts to avoid civilian casualties and regrets unintended harm during its operations in Gaza. Sibarium's clarification underscores the distinction between the opinions of individuals, even those with public platforms, and the official positions or policies of the State of Israel. The ongoing conflict has seen various interpretations and controversies surrounding events on the ground.